These were thoughts from the Lockes that appeared on the Bemus Bay Pops website in 2016 along with many other satisfied Pops ticket holders. The 2016 season brought these entertainers to the floating stage: The Groove, The Who Tribute, Karen Grainger, Absolute Journey, Abbamania, Hotel California, Jimmy & the Soublazers, The Choice singing competition, Strange Magic Elo Tribute, Chippewa Ski Show, Rod Stewart Tribute, Jukebox Heroes, Louie Prima, Jr., Bobby Lebel, Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons Tribute, Brass Transit, Eric Clapton Tribute, Lorrie Morgan, Bee Gees Night Fever Tribute, Fleetwood Mix Fleetwood Mac Tribute, Boogie Wonder Band, Straight On Heart Tribute, Dealing Stan Steely Dan Tribute, The BBC Band Beatles Tribute, Hollywood Nights Bob Seger Tribute, Legends Live Tom, Elton & Cher, Jersey Bruce Springsteen Tribute, The Diamond Project Neil Diamond Tribute and Labor Day Finale Fireworks featuring the 100th Birthday Celebration of the Sounds of Sinatra.
The Summer of 2016 was a full season of entertainment for everyone, of all ages. The summer included an event called Light The Lake July 4 & September 3. The fireworks were displayed from multiple floating barges in Bemus Bay with fireworks syncronized to music! An airplane flew overhead reporting the pilot's view of fireworks in Mayville, Midway Park and Lakewood with the traditional flares lining the shoreline. Other fireworks displays are in neighboring communities such as Findley Lake, Cassadaga and Dunkirk.
The flares that rim the shoreline of our beautiful lake on the 4th of July is a cherished tradition that residents hold dear each year. I have acquired flare stories from its beginnings. I thought the flares began in 1941 when the first 4th of July parade was held in Mayville though my research has told a preceding story. The articles below are as orignally written.
Plan Sky Show For July Fourth On Lake Shore .. Cottagers to Burn Red Flares Commencing at 10 P.M. on Night of Holiday
The Jamestown Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a Sky Show on Chautauqua Lake on the night of July 4 at 10 o'clock D.S.T. Every cottage owner on Lake Chautauqua is asked to burn a red fire torch for 15 minutes. The signal will be given by accurately-timed bombs at 3 points on the lake. The cottage owners will immediately ignite the torches and there will be a spectacular display of red fire around the entire shoreline of Chautauqua Lake.
June 28, 1934
Mayville Sentinel
Red Flares on the Lake
The feature of the 4th of July display hereabouts was undoubtedly the red flare showing along the shores of Chautauqua Lake, timed between 10 and ten-fifteen o'clock in the evening. It was beautiful and truly inspiring to those who made it a point to see it from vantage points on or about the lake. It may well be made an annual custom and may well be conceived as eventually giving to the event a Chautauqua Lake significance such as the famed Chautauqua salute and may bring large numbers of people to the lake just to see it.
Credit for the suggestion is properly given to Earle O. Hultquist and the carrying out of the idea to the Jamestown Chamber of Commerce which sponsored it and used its influence to sell the idea to cottage owners and others about the lake. With some more cooperation of hotel managements, groups of Boy Scouts or other workers to fill the vacant spots and make the placing of the flares uniform and general, another year should see the display one of the increased beauty and significance. The whole idea was carried out with very little expense to any single individual and probably a total expense of no more than $350. We commend the originator of the idea, the sponsor and all who had a part in it.
July 5, 1934
Jamestown Journal
Muncipal Park To Be Scene of Much Activity on Fourth
If fair weather prevails, a large crowd is expected to visit the park July Fourth. Several picnics including the annual affair of the Mayville M.E. Sunday School have been planned to be held at the park on Independence Day and many visitors from around Lake Chautauqua are expected.
Permission as been granted by the village board to use the large space in the park for softball and other games which adds to the attractiveness of the grounds as a recreational center.
Steps have been taken by the village board to join the rest of the lake in lighting flares on the park property which with illumination of the Pennsylvania railroad lakeshore will present an impressive sight at the northern end of the lake.
The display of the red flares on the 4th of July for the past few years around the shoreline of Chautauqua Lake has attracted thousands of people annually. Harry W. Burgeson, who heads the committee in charge of the red flare display, says there will be 5,000 flares lighted simultaneously with the sounding of sirens at the various villages and points around the lake promptly at 10 o'clock Daylight Savings Time for 30 minutes. After the flare display there will be fireworks at many points about the lake, as well as at hundreds of individual cottages. It was reported Wednesday that 2,500 30-minute flares have already been sold at various lake communities.
July 2, 1936
Mayville Sentinel
Note: These articles were provided to me by the Fenton History Center and by Devon Taylor, Mayville Town Historian.
Be safe.
Pat Locke
Maestro Muse
